Painting Vinyl and Aluminum

[Gonna Smoke]

I had the trim on my house wrapped with aluminum and vinyl soffit probably 20 years ago. Now, my contractor is trying to match the color, which is Harvest Cream, and is not having any luck finding all the pieces of the correct color. Vintage Cream is almost a perfect match, but he can't find it. Seems everything now is white. So his suggestion is to use white and paint it the correct color. My concern is how long will that last? I've seen aluminum trim with the paint peeling off and besides, the main reason for wrapping the eaves in aluminum and vinyl is to not having to paint.

So what say you painting pros or anyone with experience?

 

[chopsaw]

the main reason for wrapping the eaves in aluminum and vinyl is to not having to paint.

I think you answered the question yourself .

Wondering what you're trying to do . Is it a repair or an add on , or are you trying to clean it all up ?

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I think you answered the question yourself .

Yes, but what do I do since he can't find a matching color?

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Wondering what you're trying to do .

Addition...

 

[chopsaw]

what do I do since he can't find a matching color?

Is it vinyl ?
Corners , windows , fascia and soffit ?
I would think the contractor would know the resources available , but you might check yourself .
Depending on the configuration of the addition , think about a color transition at some point .
Is it a reverse gable intersecting roof line ? If it is , and on the back of the house , pick the inside corner and transition the color . I would want it maintenance free more than matching myself .
If part of the addition is facing or visible from the street , you could think about painting just that section so it matches the rest . Run it out until the line of sight changes .
I'd be open to painting some of the vinyl , but I would be a no on aluminum .

 

[TNJAKE]

Most of my house is brick but my master bed/bath addition is vinyl. Had the whole house painted to include the vinyl 5-6 years ago and it still looks good as new

 

[gmc2003]

One of our neighbors had the vinyl siding on their house painted about 8 years ago. They went from yellow to charcoal and it still looks good.

Chris

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Is it vinyl ?
Corners , windows , fascia and soffit ?

The windows, soffit and fascia are vinyl. The trim is woodgrain aluminum. Windows are white, the rest is Harvest Cream.

I would think the contractor would know the resources available

He has gone to 4 suppliers and nobody has the cream color in all the parts...vinyl, aluminum, J channel, etc. He can find the metal, but not the vinyl.

If it is , and on the back of the house , pick the inside corner and transition the color .

It is on the back with a gable roof and the corners at the house are where we could transition. Wife and I have been looking at color samples this morning trying to pick a contrasting color to use.

I would want it maintenance free more than matching myself .

Absolutely want it maintenance free

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Most of my house is brick but my master bed/bath addition is vinyl. Had the whole house painted to include the vinyl 5-6 years ago and it still looks good as new

One of our neighbors had the vinyl siding on their house painted about 8 years ago. They went from yellow to charcoal and it still looks good.

Chris

I'm not as concerned about the vinyl as much as I am the aluminum trim and gutters...

 

[TNJAKE]

I'm not as concerned about the vinyl as much as I am the aluminum trim and gutters...

New gutters and roof right before the paint so the gutters came colored already so I can’t answer that. I do have aluminum trim around windows and soffits and they took paint just fine

 

[TNJAKE]

They did paint the aluminum flashing on my chimney and it still looks great

 

[chopsaw]

Absolutely want it maintenance free

I'm assuming you're close to the coast ? That's what worries me about painting the aluminum .

It is on the back with a gable roof and the corners at the house are where we could transition. Wife and I have been looking at color samples this morning trying to pick a contrasting color to use.

Sounds like you guys are on it .
Nothing wrong with " celebrating " it on it's own as opposed to trying to hide it .
Make it it's own thing , and enjoy it .

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Contractor just called and is bringing me some color samples and hopefully we can come to some conclusion...

 

[normanaj]

You can absolutely paint vinyl siding.Most of the work I've done has been on brand new construction but I've done some vinyl on side jobs.Having it clean is key.

Sherwin Williams used to mix their exterior paints in a "vinyl siding formula" but now refer to it as VinylSafe with VS preceding the paint color code.The palet for that formula is pretty large but Vintage Cream and Harvest Cream are not one of them.Pretty sure Benny Moore does something similar but for whatever reason architects always spec SW for exterior and BM for interiors so I've only done Azek and vinyl with SW.

Best suggestion would be take a look at this or better yet go down to your local SW with a piece of vinyl and see if they can match your vinyl color and mix it in a VS formula.

VinylSafe® Paint Colors | Sherwin-Williams

Choose Sherwin-Williams VinylSafe® paint colors, formulated to resist warping or buckling for your home's exterior.

www.sherwin-williams.com

 

[Brokenhandle]

Wrap everything down low with white board and chalk boards... let the grands have at it... nobody will notice any color with all their artwork!
I would go with a color transition... folks did that years ago when they added a 4 season room as the color of their siding on house was no longer available.

Ryan

 

[zwiller]

All good stuff but keep in mind no matter what you do it's sorta a crap shoot with Mother Nature. Materials and coatings will fade at different rates/depending on location/etc. Could match perfectly when you do it but drift off after time. Not saying it doesn't matter but just be realistic about it. As you well know, the ideal solution is to redo it ALL. I wouldn't either. There is middle ground where you can selectively replace but it's an art of sorts. FIL was painting contractor and was a MASTER at hacking this type of stuff, like knowing what OTHER wall to paint if you were not painting a whole room so you couldn't tell. If I had to guess what he'd say it would replace anything where old meets new on the sides (leave door/window trim be). Something like that. In the end it's all a balancing act: cost to paint v. replacing v. matching. Good luck!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Sherwin Williams used to mix their exterior paints in a "vinyl siding formula" but now refer to it as VinylSafe

The initial color samples were Sherwin Williams...

 

[PPG1]

All good stuff but keep in mind no matter what you do it's sorta a crap shoot with Mother Nature. Materials and coatings will fade at different rates/depending on location/etc. Could match perfectly when you do it but drift off after time. Not saying it doesn't matter but just be realistic about it. As you well know, the ideal solution is to redo it ALL. I wouldn't either. There is middle ground where you can selectively replace but it's an art of sorts. FIL was painting contractor and was a MASTER at hacking this type of stuff, like knowing what OTHER wall to paint if you were not painting a whole room so you couldn't tell. If I had to guess what he'd say it would replace anything where old meets new on the sides (leave door/window trim be). Something like that. In the end it's all a balancing act: cost to paint v. replacing v. matching. Good luck!

Agree 100% with this statement. I retired after 30+ years with PPG Industries. Although i worked on the Automotive side of paint i do know paint chemistry. It will all fade at some point in time even Polysiloxane. May be perfect match today but what about tomorrow. As zwiller states " it's a balancing act" good luck with your project.

 

[normanaj]

The initial color samples were Sherwin Williams...

Great starting point.

But as zwiller and P PPG1 have already stated time will change things.No paint retains its original look over long periods.Both sun and shade can affect hue and sheen over time.

I'm kinda with chopsaw on this one,his advice is as sound as it gets.When we had our gable ends vinyl sided we had to go with a different color as the front had been done decades earlier.

 

[chopsaw]

I'm kinda with chopsaw on this one,his advice is as sound as it gets.

Norm , I appreciate that , and back at ya bud . One thing I miss about working is the respect of knowledge I got . I've been around enough of it that I know what you say and recommend is spot on .
One of the last jobs I did , they had a college boy running the site for the GC . We did not get along . At one point he called a meeting with the VP and owners group in a quest to make me look bad . Whatever .
Meeting day comes , I walk in the job trailer and here sits the VP that I worked with years ago when he was a site supervisor . Guy jumps up and says " Holy shit ! Rich , how ya doin bud ? Kids OK ? " LOL . One of my finer moments in life .
Be fair and honest with people . It will pay you back .